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Magnolia by the Bay - Family Beach Cottage - The Purple House

Magnolia by the Bay - Family Beach Cottage - The Purple House

New paint inside and out, newly refinished floors and a new kitchen. The living room has a queen-size fold out couch, comfy chairs, books and games. The Sunroom has a twin-sized daybed that begs for nappers and book reading. The master has a single king-size platform bed and private bath with tub. The second bedroom has two bunk beds (four twin beds) with its own bath, including washer/dryer.
Like the outdoors? The house has an outdoor shower for cleaning off the beach, a fire pit, and hike or bike to Main street or down the 7-mile, paved coastal trail that stretches all the way thru the harbor and on to Mavericks.

Overview

Details

house

1,200
sq. ft.

Sleeps

8

Bedrooms

2

Bathrooms

2

Minimum Stay

3 nights

About the property

2 bedroom, 2 bath, walking distance to the Pacific Ocean

New paint inside and out, newly refinished floors and a new kitchen. The living room has a queen-size fold out couch, comfy chairs, books and games. The Sunroom has a twin-sized daybed that begs for nappers and book reading. The master has a single king-size platform bed and private bath with tub. The second bedroom has two bunk beds (four twin beds) with its own bath, including washer/dryer.

Like the outdoors? The house has an outdoor shower for cleaning off the beach, a fire pit, and hike or bike to Main street or down the 7-mile, paved coastal trail that stretches all the way thru the harbor and on to Mavericks.

About Pansy Price

We are Texans who love California's water, mountains, and people.

Pansy Price purchased this house in 2010

Why Pansy Price chose San Francisco Bay Area

Built in 1920, the home at 307 Magnolia was in a little fishing development called Arleta Park and wasn’t a fancy place at all. It was a stop on the Ocean Shore Railroad which connected Santa Cruz to San Francisco from 1908 to 1921. The old Depot is now the home of a friend. Later, the city of Half Moon Bay put their dump on the coast between this community and the water. An unintended consequence of the dump location is that the space can now never be developed. Long since disused as the community dump, it’s beautiful coastal open space. The home has been completely renovated, adding things like modern kitchen appliances but retaining as much of the original charm such as an enclosed gas log fireplace and refinishing the original hardwood floors.

What makes this house unique

What's really unique about the Purple House is the location. Out the front door, beautiful, protected open spaces. To the west, a family-friendly path to the beach without having to cross a major road. To the east, downtown Half Moon Bay is accessible to walkers or cyclists via the traffic signal across Highway 1 at Poplar Street. Very few other locations in Half Moon Bay offer such access to all these gems.

Guestbook comments from the owner

So sad to leave! This has been the BEST weekend. Your home is comfortable and so relaxing. I've loved every minute.

We were very disappointed in the condition of the house that we stayed in and felt that the overall VRBO listing is very misleading regarding availability of heat, the claim that there are no pets allowed, and overall cleanliness (super dusty (even on dishes) and there was an ant problem). The first day we were there as my daughter was unpacking in the sun room there were tons of ants all over the wall, bed, and floor. We immediately contacted the owner and she admitted via text that they had been having intermittent ant issues because of the rains and the drought but never disclosed that to us prior to occupying the unit. She was responsive in sending someone over to drop off pest spray and ant tape for us to use to deal with the ant issue which lasted our entire stay. Heat – in the VRBO listing it states that there is heat however it should read there is only heat if you light the gas stove and 3 old space heaters during the day when you are occupying the house. It was not safe to have the space heaters on (the old disc kind especially with my 3 kids around) nor is it safe to have to burn a fireplace through the night to get heat. Consequently we were freezing at night and freezing in the morning or whenever we got home. On Christmas morning we were all wearing our winter coats until the house heated up. Pets – the listing states that no pets are allowed however it was obvious there were cats in the place given our reactions. I also took a picture of the cat hair on the rug and on the sofa. Cleanliness – in addition to the ants, the amount of dust and dirt overall in the house was not acceptable. There was a dish on a shelf that was filthy that showed just how dirty the place was. In the refrigerator there was a black hair and it had not been wiped down for some time. The bathroom had not been cleaned and appeared as though someone had just left or moved out of the house. There were used bars of soap and a puff along with some random shampoo bottles.

We did stay at the house but spent as minimal time as possible there. We checked into seeing if we could find another place to stay but given the holidays / Christmas we could not find a place.

Oh – one more thing – their listing says that there is “TV” but beware as there is no cable to go along with the TV! Ha! There is Apple TV that worked the first 2 days and then stopped working. That said – they did not subscribe to any basic stations except Netflix. Beware of this rental.

Submitted: Jan 3, 2017

Stayed: Dec 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: As most guests know, vacation rentals are stays in people's homes and are an experience more like using a friend's home than staying in a hotel. We pride ourselves on the cleanliness and appearance of the home, treat our guests as new friends and, as a result, have very happy, repeat guests.
During their stay, this reviewer contacted us regarding ants. Our property contact arrived at the house and addressed the issue within an hour. She also asked how to reset the entertainment system as her kids had changed the settings. Most guests also know that TV is different from cable. We don't have cable and don't represent that we do.
As far as the heat goes, we have a modern, remote-controlled, sealed gas stove in the living room. The remote is also the thermostat. Properly used, it regulates the heat in the home very well; it is safe to use at night. The space heaters are available to be used, as desired, and are completely safe. We ourselves have young kids and other families have enjoyed the home as well.
There have been no cats in the home for, at least, seven years, one major remodel and dozens of cleanings. We did have one guest bring a dog to the house, but that was over a year ago and was followed with a deep cleaning. No other guests have complained about any hair or dander issues. We love pets but don't allow them in the vacation home because some people have allergies to them.
We've had nothing but 4 and five star ratings from two years of guests. During her stay, the reviewer asked a couple of questions, raised a couple of issues and all were addressed quickly and to her satisfaction as far as we knew. A few days after completing her 8-night stay, she demanded a full refund. VRBO/Homeaway confirmed for me she never contacted them and they would have happily put her into another property had she requested.

Perfect place a short stroll to the cliffs

This private Half Moon Bay home is well appointed with everything you need for a relaxing get away. Room to spread out and spaces to come together to play cards , talk and share memories. Moss Beach trail is a easy walk for all and you can see seals, and a wonderful peace sign. With the rite timing you can go tide pooling here as well. In town we had the best interactions with people and the bakery was amazing. Gift shopping is quality items by artisans. It was pumpkin festival season so plan on traffic and give yourself extra time to get over the hills. The neighborhood is guiet and very safe. Locals are very friendly and having a little home to call our own for a few days was heavenly. Owners are very considerate and work well with their guests. The pillows, bedding, furnishings, decor were lovely. Having an outdoor shower and laundry room was great! We didn't get to the fire pit and smores but we will leave that for the next lucky family to share on the reviews. Thank you for a wonderful mini vacation. Go Buffs!!!

Very clean , close to the beach. The owner Pansy was very accommodating and very nice.

It was the perfect house for our family. We went there for my sons wedding. We were able to have a bon fire the their large back yard and cook dinner when at home when we needed too,. It's a short walk to the beach. And a short drive into town to eat and get groceries. I would recommend this house.

The Coastside Experience

We had a great 10 days in Half Moon Bay. Quiet neighborhood, block from the beach. There was lots of room for our family of 4 to rest and relax. The house is chock full of all kinds of extras- adult and kid bikes, games and toys, things you might need for a small kid (we did not bring small kids) Bikeable to town. We made breakfast every day and enjoyed smores around the firepit. Has heaters for chilly nights. A real gem!

Lifetime of memories

We had a wonderful stay at this charming purple house. The kids didn't want to leave. We loved being able to walk to the coastal trail, hang out on the beach, and just being away. Pansy is a wonderful host. Very helpful and responsive. The home was perfect for our family of 6...there was even a pack n play set up in the master..that was very thoughtful of you, Pansy! Definitely recommended!

Map

Nearest Airport

20
Miles

SFO

Nearest Barpub

1
Miles

Cameron's

Nearest Golf

3
Miles

The Ritz-Carlton

Nearest Motorway

0.5
Miles

Hwy 1

Nearest Restaurant

0.7
Miles

Cetrella

Nearest Beach

0.4
Miles

Poplar

Car: recommended

San Benito house deli on Main street. Sandwiches. If it's warm, eat them in the courtyard, if cold you can eat them in the bar area. Super cheap and super yummy and pretty busy on the weekends. My favorite is the egg and avocado on the walnut bread. A half sandwich is generally all an adult really needs. www.sanbenitohouse.com

Cetrella - super duper Italian and steaks. Renovated warehouse is super romantic but probably not where you want to take the kids. On Main street at Spruce so very close. Closed Monday. www.cetrella.com

Cameron's Pub - about a half-mile south of the house on 1. Awesome shepherd's pie and can't go wrong with just about anything else. Lots of beers, too. www.cameronsinn.com

3-Zero cafe - it really is the HMB airport a few miles north of HMB on 1. Think Kerbey Lane and Magnolia wrapped into one with an airplane theme. Lunch or breakfast. AWESOME! www.3-zerocafe.com

just north of Sam's on 1. lunch or dinner, cash only and on weekends they've got outdoor counter service. www.barbarasfishtrap.com

Alice's Restaurant - Yes, THE. It's not really in HMB - it's in Woodside and about a 30-ish minute drive depending on traffic and how aggressively you drive. The food is excellent and the drive is half the fun. Take CA-92 back toward 280 but at the top of the hill (that's what they call it there) turn right on Skyline blvd. On the weekends, Skyline is the place you're most likely to see a Ferrari. Drive 12.4 miles thru the redwoods and it's at the intersection with CA-84 (La Honda Road). www.alicesrestaurant.com

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